Of the four corners, Arizona was my choice for my next stops.
A couple friends camphost in the Flagstaff area so I spent some time there. Flagstaff is at 7,000 feet so this is a good area for cooler temperatures during the summer months. Also, there is quite a bit of public land available for camping all around Flagstaff and, that city is large enough that it includes any kind of needed amenity.
After my time here, I went south to a pretty area not far from Sedona at which I’ve camped in the past. Oddly, I have still not actually visited Sedona but will get there at some point.
My route next took me thru Colorado to Pueblo where I was supposed to complete a previously arranged trade of my truck tonneau cover for a camper shell. Unfortunately, the other party welched on the deal, and I was ultimately cheated out of considerable funds. (It’s a long, unhappy story that I will not relate here). I am still looking for a suitable shell/cap/topper for my truck.
At least, on this ill-fated trip, I once again was able to see some beautiful country–and this time it was adorned in autumn splendor. After my disappointing stop in the Pueblo area, I hurried south through Colorado.
Oddly enough, I actually stumbled upon the turn to Great Sand Dunes National Park & Preserve (featuring the tallest dunes in the U.S.). I usually carefully plan National Park visits, but I guess I was preoccupied by recent events and didn’t notice it was along my route. It was a stunning day and turned out to be a good visit, even though the Visitor Center was unfortunately closed due to the government shutdown occurring at the time. I had a ball taking photographs. Sometimes the surprises in my travels turn out to be among the most enjoyable experiences.
After the Park, more beautiful scenery along the road and a short visit to the Four Corners Monument. I’m glad I finally stopped here but I found this Navajo Nation site to be rather sad. No disrespect intended at all. I know funding, for one thing, is often a challenge, but I wish this unique location could feature cultural information, art, relics, or history about this mighty nation so visitors could be properly educated. I’m probably naive about the difficulties involved in providing something like this or maybe the Navajo don’t even want this for some reason, but I still wish something more could be done here to take advantage of the tourism and benefit the Navajo Nation.
Apparently, there is room for one more post from Stanley. I forgot about images from my nearby camp after I left the campground – some of which turned out to be favorites.
I love to see jagged mountain tops peeking (peaking?) out above low clouds. Also included are some images from my departure day and travels beyond.
I think six posts is enough for one area! It just that it was quite scenic here and the aspens in fall colors were especially a big draw for my cameras.
With several devices for photography, it’s sometimes hard to keep everything straight, so I may have accidentally included duplicates and I *know* have some things out of order. Please forgive my goofs.
This final Stanley post includes another wildlife highlight, the last of the golden/orange/red/bronze aspens (for me), and maybe a few mountains.
Since I worked part-time for the summer, I was able to explore the surrounding area on my off days. I had never spent any significant time in Idaho before but found it to be really beautiful. More info in the captions.
